


Days After Dawn

by Michele_G



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Post-Canon, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-03 13:55:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11533629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Michele_G/pseuds/Michele_G
Summary: In the months after the defeat of HADES, Aloy has to decide where she belongs and what her future holds. The machines are tamer now that the derangement has ended but GAIA is still offline leaving Elisabet Sobeck's gift to the world incomplete and broken. The Nora think that she's the goddess made flesh and to the Carja, and Avad specifically, she's the Savior of Meridian. But, what does she want and who does she want to be?For Erend, he's just pleased that Aloy has made any kind of time for him let alone saw fit to write to him while she was away from Meridian. Everyone seems to think they know what she should do next and where she should be but what does he think? And if she decides her destiny lies elsewhere, where does that leave him?Days After Dawn is a story told from two perspectives, Erend and Aloy, with chapters that will alternate between the two.





	1. Remembrances

**Author's Note:**

> Soundtrack:  
> AURORA - Lucky

In the months since the Battle for the Spire, Meridian slowly recovered. The first few days after the battle had been dark ones indeed as fires were brought under control and the wounded and dead alike were pulled from the rubble and tended to. But with each passing day things got a little better as the city came together and rebuilt what had been broken and mourned those that had passed. Erend wished he'd had more time to rest during the effort to return the city to some semblance of normalcy, perhaps then he'd have been able to spend more time with Aloy. But, as captain of the guard, he'd had many responsibilities and she had a sense of duty that wouldn't let her rest while there still might be someone to save. Often during that time Aloy was busiest where the wreckage was the worst, using her Focus to peer through the rubble to find those that might still be alive underneath and coordinating volunteers to carefully shift the debris lest they cause it to collapse further. He'd helped her directly when he had the chance, lifting beams and smashing fallen stones with his hammer at her instruction , and indirectly by sending his men to her when he was needed elsewhere. But there hadn't been a lot of time for talking during those days as what free time there was got devoted to food and rest. 

As days became weeks and the city no longer looked as if a stiff breeze might blow it away in a puff of ash, Erend had found the time to convince Aloy that there was nothing in the city that needed her immediate attention, not tending to wounded nor feeding those displaced from their homes, and to spend an evening resting. That she would be spending that evening of rest with him had made Erend feel very clever indeed. He'd intended to take the opportunity to tell her over a large dinner how much he admired her, not only for her prowess in battle but for the compassion she'd shown for the citizens of Meridian during the recovery process. He'd intended to tell her that there would always be a place for her here, if she wanted to stay. He'd intended to ensure she knew that that place could be with him, if she wanted, and that she was the most beautiful and bravest person he'd ever known. He gotten as far as the first sentence before she interrupted with a tired smile, placing her hand over his and shattered his hopes. 

“Thank you, Erend. It... means a lot to me that you think that.” she'd said, while his heart had leapt into his throat at her touch, her calloused fingers warm against his skin. “There.. was something I wanted to tell you as well.” 

For a moment, he was hopeful, moving his hand under hers until he lightly gripped her fingers before he spoke, “Yeah? And what might that be? I hope that my Vanguard have been doing their jobs and helping while I'm not around or else I might have to put my boot in their asses. Was it Alik? It was Alik , wasn't it?” He joked, which elicited a bright laugh from her that he'd not heard since before the battle. 

“No, no. Nothing like that,” She assured him, giving his hand a squeeze before pulling it away, “I'd just been thinking since we'd talked earlier today about the city no longer being in dire need. And... I was thinking it might be time for me to take care of some business of my own.”

And there it was. His hopes of her staying shattered as she laid out her plan to him to return to the Scared Lands to visit Rost's grave and then to find the resting place of a woman named Elisabet Sobeck. She tried to explain her relationship to this woman who was somehow one of the ancients, her mother and herself all at the same time and while he nodded as if he understood, he didn't. Not exactly. Even still he smiled through her explanation. Or at least, he hoped he did. Given that she was laying out her plans to leave, without mentioning if and when she might return before him, he may very well have grimaced unconvincingly at her while intending to smile. If he did, she was either kind enough to not mention it or else she didn't notice. He'd replied with encouraging words like 'Of course you should go,' and 'You deserve time to yourself.” Things he'd only been able to say because they happened to be true and he knew that any moment of her time that she gave to him was in itself a gift. 

And then she left. She'd wrapped him into a fierce hug, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek, before setting off across the bridge and away to the east all while he stood and watched her go until she was out of sight. 

It had been three months since that day. 

The day was cool by Meridian standards. Spring had arrived and with it all the promise of a fresh start as flowers bloomed along the roadsides in the Maizelands below the Mesa. Erend stood on the balcony of the Palace as the sun began to set, very near to where he and Aloy had stood saying their goodbyes before he'd left for The Claim to lay Ersa to rest. He smiled, turning to lean on the rail with the sun to his back, pulling the letter he'd received from Aloy perhaps a half an hour earlier from his pocket. He always liked to read his letters here, in 'their' spot. 

The letters had been a surprise, that was for damn sure. About two weeks from when he'd last seen her on the bridge, the first had arrived, borne in the pack of a traveling merchant who'd found him on his way to the palace to report on reconstruction efforts with Avad. He'd had a hard time imagining who could possibly be writing to him as he opened the letter, and started to read as he walked. 

“Erend,” it had began. “I hope this finds you well. Here are two minutes, just for you.” 

He'd nearly fallen over his own feet on his way up the stairs reading that, eliciting a few muffled laughs from the guards who'd been present which quickly turned to coughing as he'd scowled at them. There could only be one person the letter was from. He sat after that and read and re-read that first letter, which she'd apparently sent from somewhere around Daytower as she crossed out of Carja territory and into the Sacred Lands. In it she'd written of her journey up to that point, sharing with him her thoughts about how the machines seemed tamer since Hades had been destroyed, and how nervous she was to return to the Nora, albeit temporarily, worried they'd treat her as an idol to be worshiped. Curiously, she'd included a second page which bore a rough ink sketch of the Daytower itself, as seen from the approach from the Carja side of the gate, labeled 'view from camp, last night in Carja territory'. He'd had no idea Aloy could draw. Fingers traced delicately over the image rendered in dark machine oil as he marveled over her having a talent that wasn't related to combat. 

Since then, he'd received a letter from her every few weeks. Each starting the same way and each including a sketch of wherever she was. Unfortunately, she was never in one place long enough for him to write back given that his first letter back to her returned undelivered shortly after he'd received his second letter from her. Apparently she'd moved on again shortly after sending it and the Nora the merchant had spoken to had only the vaguest idea of where she'd gone. The second letter detailed her interactions with the Nora and her visit to Rost's grave and all the complex and shifting emotions she'd dealt with at the time. He could see her frustration in the bite the pen had made in the paper as she recounted how all but a handful of the tribe insisted on calling her 'The Anointed' and her sadness by the discoloration her tears had left on the drawing of Rost's gravesite, his chest tightening as he read the neat script more than once wondering at the fact that she chose to even write to him at all. Since he apparently couldn't write back he began collecting the letters and illustrations she periodically sent between the pages of a journal kept on the table at his bedside, writing responses to them there. He knew she'd never see it, but it made him feel better. 

He shook his head, banishing the lingering thoughts of her previous letters as he unfolded the most recent, smiling softly as he read the familiar first line.

Dearest Erend, 

I hope this letter finds you well. I've found another two minutes, just for you. After days of careful searching, listening to Elisabet's last recording over and over on my focus for clues, I finally found it. The place she called home. The place she came to die when the world of the Ancient Ones fell apart. I suppose part of me didn't really think I'd find much, if anything, after all this time. I listened to her recount a story from her childhood, a story about her own mother, as I rode towards the ruin that was her home. Listened to her speak about why she'd never had children of her own during her life but what she'd always wished a daughter of hers might have been like. It's funny. In some ways, she is my mother, this woman who lived and died so long ago trying to ensure there would be a tomorrow for people she'd never know. An entire world of people she'd never know. I wonder what she would think of me. If she'd have been proud. If she would have seen those qualities in me. I like to think that maybe she would. That maybe she would have loved me, like Rost had. It's a nice thought... but I know I'll never really have an answer. I found her, what was left of her, sitting on a bench outside of what was left of a house. She had a beautiful round bauble in her hand, holding it as if it were a gift for me. Maybe it is. I'm sitting here by the fire now, looking at it as I write this. It feels nice... having something that was hers. Curiously, she was surrounded by flowers, shaped in a triangle around her final resting place. Like the triangle of blooms you see around those odd mechanical flowers with poetry written across their petals. I'd always wondered at their purpose. Maybe it was GAIA's way of honoring Elisabet? Her way to say goodbye to her creator? Again, I can only speculate, but I like to think so. There is so much more I'd like to tell you, but I'm running out of sunlight and room on this page. Maybe there will be time, when I have another two minutes for you. 

Yours,  
Aloy

He felt the familiar swell in his chest he always felt when he read her words, painful and sweet all at the same time. He slipped the letter behind the following page, using the quickly fading daylight to look at the drawing she'd included this time. This time the sketch showed the ruins of an ancient house and framed between what looked like it might have once been a sign between two posts was a figure seated on a bench as viewed from behind. It could only have been this Elisabet woman and her final resting place. That Aloy would choose to share the sight of something so intensely personal with him was flattering and a little confusing all at once. 

“That girl... why she writes to an oaf like me, I'll never understand,” he said with a shake of his head and a soft, self-deprecating laugh as he carefully folded the letter and slipped it between his armor and shirt for safe-keeping until he returned home. The sun had nearly sunk below the horizon, painting the evening sky in a deep, dusky orange that reminded Erend of the color of Aloy's hair as he finally left the balcony and started on his way towards home. He greeted the guards he passed, Carja and Oseram Vanguard alike. The Carja, nodding respectfully at the Captain, the Oseram calling out raucous greetings and questions as to whether they'd see him in the tavern later that evening. 

“Sorry you miserable bunch of drunks! Duty calls early tomorrow and someone ought to be responsible.” he replied. Which earned him a response of 'Yeah? Who's that then? Did the king wise up and find someone else to be his Captain?” from Alik, one of the Vanguard particularly known for his smart mouth.   
“If he did, you'd certainly be out of a job. No one else would even pretend to put up with your sorry ass!” he called back with a laugh, not slowing his step as he moved through the evening city crowd towards his home. 

The city really was rapidly returning to normal. Most of the displaced had either found more permanent residences or had already rebuilt enough to move back to their homes. It was lucky that the winters in Meridian were so mild, especially when compared to places like The Claim he thought. There was no snow nor freezing temperatures to hamper the rebuilding process. He rounded the corner to his street as the street lamps were being lit for the evening, bathing everything in a cheery light.

“Beautiful night... a new letter from Aloy,” he said to himself, placing a hand over where he'd tucked her missive into his armor, knowing he'd read it all over again once he returned home. “Doesn't get much better.” And just as he released a sigh of contentment was when he noticed the shadow by his door. 'Odd', he thought to himself. There should no longer be anyone sleeping in the streets. He slowed his step, approaching his front door carefully, reaching for his hammer as he angled to get a better look at whoever decided his front stoop was a good place to sleep. It was then the lamplighter lit the streetlamp nearest to his door and he realized this caution was unnecessary, the light shining off her hair like burnished copper. He released a shuddering breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he stared dumbfounded at the woman asleep, leaned against his front door, pack behind her and spear held loosely in her arms. 

“Aloy?” he said, making her name into a question as he started to approach her. He'd started to crouch before her, reaching out hesitant fingers towards her shoulder as if she were a vision that would disappear the moment he touched her. “Aloy,” he said, firmly this time, causing her to stir. She blinked the sleep from her eyes, as if trying to remember where she was before she settled her gaze on Erend, face lighting with a smile.

“Oh... good. You're home. Surprise?”


	2. Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack:  
> AURORA - Runaway

“Aloy?... Aloy,” 

She slowly became aware that someone was saying her name and that she'd apparently dozed off. It had been a long few days of riding to get to Meridian and she'd been more tired than she realized. Blinking against the glare of the newly lit streetlamp the last few hours of arriving at Meridian until she'd found her way to Erend's doorstep to await his return home slowly came back to her. Her attention refocused, she found the source of the voice saying her name in the form of Erend crouched before her, tentatively reaching out. The look of pure disbelief on his face was worth the pain of the knot forming in her back where her pack was digging into her spine and she smiled. 

“Oh... good. You're home. Surprise?” She said somewhat sheepishly as she set her spear aside against his door frame and slowly stood, stretching her arms over her head in attempt to soothe her lower back.  
This caused Erend to sputter for a moment, as if someone had just dumped a container of chillwater over his head as he sat, hard, on the cobblestone street before he erupted into laughter.

“Surprise?! That's the understatement of the damn year if I ever heard it! What... I mean when... just..” he said, trailing off as she stood before him, reaching a hand down to help him up. The mixed look of confusion and delight was something that was uniquely Erend, she thought. It was something she'd not realized how much she missed while she'd been away. 

“Articulate as always, Captain,” She said as she braced her legs and helped him to his feet. “And... in an attempt to answer your questions, I thought it was time to come back. I arrived a little earlier this evening. And I wasn't sure when you'd be home so I thought I'd just wait.” She said with a slight smirk and a shrug as he continued so stare down at her. “If it's a bad time... I can always see if they have room at the lodge. I haven't checked in with Talanah yet...” she said, doing her best to keep her expression calm and tone somewhat disinterested as she glanced down the street in the direction she'd need to go to arrive at the lodge. 

“NO!” came his overly enthusiastic reply, his hand reaching out to rest on her shoulder. “Uh... I mean. No.... No. It's not a bad time. I was just.. uh.. really surprised to see you. I only just got your last letter today.” he said gruffly, apparently trying to cover from his initial outburst of enthusiasm. Keeping herself from grinning at his reply constituted a major effort on her part. This was just how she'd hoped that he'd react. 

She turned to look at the hand on her shoulder, allowing herself a small smile as he quickly removed it once her gaze was upon it, his cheeks flushing a brilliant shade of red. “Oh, well good. I'd hate to impose. Although, I'm not terribly surprised you only got my letter today. I only gave it to the merchant to deliver to your office when I rode into town earlier this evening.” She said smoothly as she knelt to retrieve her pack from the ground.

“You... had one of the merchants in town... deliver this today. AFTER you got here.” He said haltingly. Aloy could see the gears working inside of his head as he put everything together. “And then... you waited for me outside my home.”

It was too much. The look of indignation on his face as he worked it all out was far too adorable and amusing for her to keep it together any longer and she began to laugh, causing him to grin ruefully at her in return. This is why she returned. She'd missed this. The easy camaraderie she felt with the captain, how laughter came easier to her in his presence and how all the shadows of the world seemed a little less dark and foreboding. 

“That about sums it up, yes. After I'd written you I decided that I was going to head straight back to Meridian. And since I travel faster than any merchant and it seemed silly to arrive here before my last letter... I decided to surprise you.” she said, shouldering her pack. “Now, are you going to invite me in, Captain, or shall we stand her on the street until morning?” 

This seemed to break him out of indignance and she stepped aside, picking up her spear, as he moved forward to open the door, muttering something to himself about 'Nora women'. Or was it about one Nora woman in particular she wondered, noticing his cheeks were still somewhat pink as he held the door open and gestured for her to enter. 

Moving inside, she noticed his apartment still looked the same as the last time she'd been here, during the dinner where she'd laid out her plans to visit Rost's grave and to try to find Elisabet's final resting place. She set her pack and spear in a corner near the door as Erend busied himself lighting a few oil lamps against the dark. He'd told her before that it was small, and it was compared to some of the estates and the townhomes of wealthy Carja she'd seen before and after the battle against HADES, but she had a hard time seeing it as such. It was nearly as large as many homes in the Sacred Lands that an entire family might reside in. But, the Carja were builders where the Nora were not. Even still, the lower floor consisted of a sitting area, with a small shelf where a few books and personal keepsakes resided and on the wall over a low couch, opposite a large window was a woven image of Ersa, much like the depiction of Olin's family she'd seen before. This was new.. he must have had it made after she'd left. There was a small kitchen area as well as a round table with four chairs around it and a staircase that lead to a loft where Erend kept his bedroom. The thing that Aloy was most impressed by was something that was common to all Carja homes in Meridian that she had seen, indoor plumbing. The fact that Erend could draw water from a tap in his kitchen at will and that there was a modestly appointed bathroom complete with a place for washing seemed extravagant to her for all that it was something nearly everyone had here. She smiled slightly at the memory of when she first realized this and how stunned she'd been at the time. It'd done nothing to dispel her image as a 'savage', that was for certain. 

“So, the great huntress and savior of Meridian returns. And the first thing she does isn't visit with the King. Or spend the evening at the lodge with the Sunhawk. It's setting up a practical joke on the Captain of the Vanguard and then spending the evening with him.” he said mockingly after he'd lit the lamps, hanging his hammer on a rack near the door. “You're sure you're not Oseram? From what I saw of your people at the proving and the battle, the Nora aren't exactly know for their sense of humor.”

“Given that I'd not heard of the Oseram before I'd met you and my mothers were a machine and a dead woman...”she said, trailing off as he turned for the kitchen and began to pull food from his cupboards. “I'm going to guess no. Not Oseram. But I'm hardly Nora either. Not really. You're right though, if Rost was anything to go by the Nora aren't particularly known for their humor, and I don't know anyone else in the tribe well enough to say whether or not they're all so serious.” she said as she realized she'd been staring off into the middle distance as she spoke. She gave a sigh and a shake of her head as she looked back at Erend, realizing he was frowning at her, paused in the act of putting some smoked meats, cheeses and thick slices of bread onto plates. It surprised her to see him so concerned and... was he a little angry? 

“I forget sometimes that you were an outcast,” He said gruffly, looking away from her to finish his task of plating the food before setting it on the table a little rougher than was necessary, Aloy thought. “How anyone could treat you like that..”

“ Erend, really. It's okay.” She said interrupting him and closing the distance between them, resting a hand on his left arm. She felt the muscles in his arm go stiff at her touch. She'd meant to calm him, not agitate him further. But, as she tried move her hand away, he relaxed and placed his right hand over hers and relaxed. “It's just what it is. It doesn't bother me as much anymore. Not now that I know what having real friends is like.” This seemed to do the trick, although curiously, she did notice a slight wince from him when she said 'friends' but it was gone as quick as it came and he patted the hand that was still on his arm and moved away from her to pull a few cups of blown glass from his shelf and filled them with water. 

“Sorry I don't have more to offer. If I'd known I was going to be having company, I'd have gotten better food from the market.” his tone turning backs towards jovial again as he set one of the glasses in front of her and sat to start digging into his meal. A knot she hadn't realized had formed in her chest when she'd seen him angry on her behalf released now that he was acting more like himself. She smiled at him as she also started into her food.

“There's better food than this?” she said teasingly. “Good thing I'm just a savage Nora and know no better.” He guffawed at this, rolling his eyes towards the ceiling and they ate the rest of the meal in a companionable silence. Meal finished, Aloy moved to sit on the more comfortable couch as Erend cleared the dishes away, feeling rather relaxed and content. She'd just laid her head back, eyes closed slightly when she felt the couch shift under his weight as he sat next to her.

“Seriously though, Aloy. Why me?” she heard him say. She opened her eyes and rolled her head to the side to look at him. He sat next to her, elbows resting on his knees and hands clasped together, looking rather pensively at his floor.

“What do you mean, why you?” she asked, confusion tinging her voice.

“You could have gone anywhere in the city. Hell... I'm pretty damn sure Avad would give you a whole wing of the palace to yourself if you just asked. But instead, you came to see me.” he said, turning to look imploringly at her. 

“That's what's bothering you?” she said, smiling tiredly. “Because you're my friend, you jackass. Probably my best friend come to think of it. Besides... why would I want to stay at the palace? Seems far too fancy for the likes of me.” She said with a yawn, moving over to lean her head against his shoulder. “And, I told you, I'd always have a minute for you. Maybe even two.” She was far more tired than she realized after her day of riding. She felt his arm move under her until it was around her shoulders and her head rested on his chest. This was nice. For the first time in the months since she'd left, she felt like she could let her guard down. No bandits or rogue machines to worry about as she camped for the night. Which was why she feel asleep then and there before she could hear his reply.

“Friend?... Well what the fuck does that even mean?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, Aloy. What does that even mean? Do you know? I'm not sure you know.


	3. The Calm Before

Having Aloy curled against his chest with his arm wrapped around her shoulders hardly seemed real. How many times had he thought of doing just this? And here it was, happening as he listened to her breathing become regular and even as she drifted off to sleep in his arms. Even as he was filled with a happiness that was beyond words that she was here, with him, after months of being gone, her last words before falling asleep still ate away at him in the back of his mind. He was her friend. Not only that, maybe her best friend.

“Friend?... Well what the fuck does that even mean?” he said softly to himself. But upon realizing he'd actually said that out loud he kicked himself mentally and gently shifted to look at her face to see if she had heard him. Her face was still in the calm repose of sleep and he gave of sigh of relief. Good. She hadn't heard that. Resting his cheek against the top of her head he brooded over her words. What DID she mean? Having grown up as an outcast, having a relationship of any kind with anyone but the man who raised her, be it friend or lover, was not something that she would have experienced. Knowing that, would she even have an understanding of the difference in the feelings of love and caring between friends and romantic love? She was brilliant, that he'd seen, but knowledge like this was something separate from intelligence and something most people would figure out as they grew up and interactions with childhood friends changed to something different in adolescence. He knew how he felt about the woman that now slumbered in his arms but he was unsure how she felt about him.

'On the one hand... she wrote to me while she was away. Let me experience her most private moments through her letters,' he thought as he stared off out the window. 'And I'm the first person she came to see. On the other hand, she called me her friend. And if I lay my heart before her and she doesn't feel the same, could I deal with the possibility she wouldn't want to even be only my friend? Friend is better than nothing at all.' He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, the scent of her hair soothing him as he thought. The scent made him think of sunlight and warm grass with a hint of something metallic, a remnant of the machines she hunted and tamed. He needed more information before he made a decision. There was just no way to tell right now. The only thing he was sure of was he wanted her in his life, in any capacity that she would allow.

She made a soft sound in her sleep then, sounding utterly content and his heart melted. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and then gently moved from under her, laying her upon the couch. He briefly thought of picking her up and carrying her up to the loft to sleep in his bed while he took the couch but ultimately decided against it. She looked so peaceful and he didn't want to risk waking her when she was so obviously tired. Instead, he pulled the woven blanket that had been laid across the back of his couch and laid it over her and continued to watch her for a moment before he extinguished all the lamps but one and headed up the stairs to his own bed, tucking the newest letter into the book that held the others before falling asleep himself.

*****

The next morning came far too soon in his opinion. He'd never really been a morning person at any point in his life but he was awoken by the sound of his kettle whistling downstairs. Why was his kettle whistling? He frowned and sat up in bed, pulling the blanket up with him around his shoulders as he yawned and tried to kick his still sleepy brain into something resembling functional. That's right. He had a house guest. His frown turned into a smile as he remembered that Aloy had returned and it was probably her that was downstairs, putting breakfast together from the sounds of it. The sound of the kettle stopping as she took it off the stove. It'd cooled dramatically during the night so he got up from bed and pulled on the shirt and pants he'd wear under his armor before heading down the stairs brushing his mohawk back into shape with his fingers. Aloy was there in his kitchen, pouring tea into a couple of earthenware cups, bless her. It was just what he needed.

“Oh good, you're awake.” She said looking up at him, giving him a warm smile. “I'd wondered if I'd have to come wake you.” She was out of her armor, dressed today in thick Carja silks. Which boded well for her planning to stick around, at least for today.

“Yeah, well, it's hard to sleep through the sound of that.” He said, nodding his head towards the kettle, “Although, I may have stayed in bed if I knew I could have expected to have you there.” He watched her to see her reaction to his shameless flirting, hoping to see something in her expression that would tell him whether his feelings for her might be reciprocated. She did blush slightly at the comment as she set the steaming cup in front of him and quickly turned to retrieve something wrapped in paper on the counter before setting it in front of him as well.

“I... will have to keep that in mind.” She said, sitting across from him with her own mug and paper wrapped bundle, cheeks still pink. This was a good sign Erend decided but he didn't want to push his luck and so let it drop. For now.

“So, what's this?” he said, unwrapping the package in front of him.

“Hmm? Oh. Uh, I was awake pretty early. And, I thought I should thank you for letting me stay here, so I went to the market this morning and bought these from the baker.” She said still sounding a little flustered as she unwrapped her own revealing a pastry filled with spiced apples. Upon seeing this, Erend’s face split into a grin and he quickly tore the paper away from his. He knew exactly which bakery she’d visited that morning while he slept as he often stopped by there himself in the mornings on his way to the palace.

“You don’t owe me anything, Aloy, you’re always welcome to stay. But… I’ll never say no to one of Greta’s turnovers either. You can buy me those any time you like.” He said before tearing into his breakfast. He noted that Aloy looked pleased with herself at having guessed his tastes in breakfast correctly and the pastries disappeared quickly leaving them sitting, sipping at their cooling morning tea. “So, now that you’re back in Meridian, what are your plans?”

“Honestly? I hadn’t really thought of any beyond surprising you last night,” She said, the corners of her mouth lifting in a slight smirk. “I suppose I should pay my respects to Avad and check in with Talanah at the lodge. I was hoping to be off the road for a little while… plan my next move. GAIA needs to be restored but…” She said trailing off for a moment, smile turning into a slight frown before she drank the last of her tea from her cup. “I have no idea where to start on that. That’s one of the things I wanted to discuss with you actually.”

“Me?!” Erend said, his surprise tingeing his voice as he sat up straighter in his chair. “I certainly wouldn’t know how to go about something like that. Unless you think this is a problem that can be solved by hitting it really hard with a hammer. That I’m good at. It’s my number one problem solving technique.”

She laughed softly and shook her head, “I’m fairly positive that isn’t how you solve this. No, I was more hoping for you to talk this out with me or, since you were friends with Olin and the Oseram don't seem to have the same fear of the metal world, you might be familiar with or know about how to find out where there are more sites I might be able to delve into to try to find something to point me in the right direction. And, hitting things with a hammer aside, you’re actually a pretty good tactician from what I’ve seen. If anyone can help me plan this out, it’s you.” She said, reaching out and placing her hand over his wrist.

The warmth of her touch and the sincerity of her compliment sent a warm sort of electric feeling up through is arms and into his core. He set his cup aside and laid a hand over hers as if he could capture the feeling and keep it there forever. “I'm not sure where you found such confidence in me. I'm pretty sure it was you coming up with all the good plans before now. But, who am I to deny the savior of Meridian?” he said, layering sarcasm over his last statement, defusing some of the tension he felt building in his chest. “In all seriousness though, I'll help you however I'm able.” This seemed to satisfy her and she gave a nod before slipping her hand from his wrist, breaking the spell of the morning as she stood and began to clear the table. As much as he wished he could continue to spend the rest of the morning this way with her, in quiet conversation and shared jokes, he had duties to preform. “I'll be headed to the palace shortly,” He said, standing. “You'd be welcome to come with me if you wanted to speak to Avad.”

“I probably shouldn't delay that,” She said, turning to lean against his counter, arms crossing in front of her. “I can only imagine how put out he'd be to find out I'm in the city and didn't come to see him right away. See, Captain? This is what I meant by you having good ideas.” She said dryly, a small smile reaching her lips.

“You have no idea.” He replied, with a shake of his head. She'd been joking, but she wasn't far off the mark. The King would be put out if Aloy didn't come to see him and he didn't relish having to deal with Avad being moody because of it. “Give me a minute to get my armor on and then we'll go.” She gave a nod as he moved up the stairs and into this loft, putting his armor on with a quickness and efficiency borne of years of practice and soon they were out the door, walking side by side on the way to the palace. A fair few of the residents they passed recognized Aloy and called out greetings. He watched Aloy respond with a nod or a raised hand but he could tell the attention made her somewhat uncomfortable. “So... have you thought of where you'll stay? While you're here in Meridian that is.” He said to divert her attention from the citizens and desperately hoping he sounded casual. This was something a friend would ask, right? Yes. Something a friend would ask, he decided.

“I hadn't. I'm sure I'll figure something out though.” she replied, not seeming to pick up at all on the internal argument he was having with himself.

“Well, I mean, you're more than welcome to stay with me... At my house that is. Like last night. You didn't seem to mind the couch but you're also welcome to my bed...” he said haltingly, trailing off for a moment and wincing slightly when he realized how that sounded. “Without me in it of course! I'll take the couch. If you want.” He finished, somewhat lamely as he stared straight ahead as the approached the bridge to the palace. When he didn't hear an immediate reply his mind started to panic slightly. 'Way to go, Erend, you jackass. You over-stepped yourself with her.' he thought. But, the sound of her footsteps on the wooden bridge told him she was still with him and hadn't run off after he'd made a fool of himself and he hazarded a glace over at her. She was staring at him, eyes alight with humor but looking as if she were trying to keep her expression neutral, like perhaps she would have looked if he hadn't just made an ass of himself. Well... that wasn't a bad way for her to be looking at him at least, right?

“Thank you, Erend. I... think I understand. Better then trying to find a room at an inn at least.” she said with a slight shrug of her shoulders as she reached up at gave his shoulder a pat. He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as they mounted the steps to Avad's sitting area.

***** 

“Aloy!” Avad said brightly, closing the gap between them in a few long strides and placing both of his hands on Aloy's shoulders. Erend frowned slightly at the gesture but decided against saying anything. This was his king after all, and he was just greeting the woman that had saved his city and the entire damn world after she'd been gone for months. Of course he'd be happy to see her. At least, that's what he told himself. “What bring's you to Meridian? We're not in danger again, are we?”

“No, it's nothing like that.” She replied. Erend wished he could see her face, but as he stood behind her, he could only study her body language. She'd gone very still though, so it was impossible to tell what the huntress might be thinking. “I'm just here to visit with friends and perhaps figure out what comes next now that the world isn't in imminent danger.”

“Excellent, excellent. Obviously the Sun has blessed me that you would come immediately to see me!” he exclaimed, pulling Aloy in for a hug. Judging by how stiff Aloy became, this was completely unexpected and Erend's frown deepened. She was released soon enough however and she rocked back on her heels before she took a step back from the king, looking somewhat dazed Erend could see now that she stood beside him rather than in front of him. The king, however, did not seem to notice the change in Aloy's demeanor. “Erend, I know we usually meet first thing in the morning to discuss the days guard operations, but I think we can skip that for today. I have some things I would like to discuss with Aloy privately, if you don't mind.”

“Oh, of course your Luminence.” he replied automatically, eyes shifting to Aloy to make sure she was okay with being left alone with Avad. She met his gaze, giving him a slight nod, her face back to neutral. It was hard to know what she was thinking, but Aloy could take care of herself. She'd shown that time and again. “I'll be in my office for awhile if you need me but was planning on going to the training grounds later to check on some of the newer recruits.” he said more for Aloy's benefit than the king's.

“Fine, fine. I'm sure if anything comes up you'll be easy to find.” Avad said, attention already back on Aloy. Erend knew when he'd been dismissed and so he shot one last look at the huntress before retreating to his office, a knot forming in the pit of his stomach. What was that all about? What could the king possibly wish to discuss with her that he needed to do so privately he wondered as he shuffled through paperwork and duty schedules without really seeing them. He was so lost in thought that without being able to tell exactly how long it had been he'd been staring at the same scrap of paper he was broken from his reverie by raised voices. He stood quickly, the report in his hand all but forgotten in the moment as he rushed outside to see what the commotion was. There was Aloy, looking like a thunderhead as she stomped down the stairs and away from Avad who was calling after her. She ignored him however and marched off in the direction of the bridge. What had Avad done? He looked for a moment up at his king who looked chagrined, hands on his hips, head shaking. Whatever it was, the king had stepped in it. Avad noticed him then and Erend gestured towards the retreating huntress, silently asking for permission to follow her. The king gave a quick nod and Erend set off after her like the wind chasing a storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few nice moments before Avad apparently royally screws up. Pun absolutely intended. We'll find out what it was he did in the next chapter. I had soundtrack listings for the 1st two chapters mainly because I'd been listening to AURORA while thinking about how I wanted to open the story and I felt the songs I listed fit the mood. No such musical inspiration for this one however. So, not every chapter will have one. When they do, however, I'll list them at the top.


	4. The Storm

“Erend, I know we usually meet first thing in the morning to discuss the day's guard operations, but I think we can skip that for today. I have some things I would like to discuss with Aloy privately, if you don't mind.” Avad said. This annoyed Aloy that he would just assume that she would agree to a private conversation but she kept her expression neutral. Avad was a king after all, accustomed to his wishes being followed. She locked eyes with Erend seeing his discomfort at the turn of events despite his answering Avad in the affirmative and she gave him a slight nod to reassure him. She was glad to seem him relax as he announced where he could be found before taking his leave. She watched him descend the stairs but felt Avad's gaze burning into her. He wanted something she could tell. The only question was what. Were the Shadow Carja still making trouble?

She returned her gaze to him saying, “Avad, is everything alright?” She allowed curiosity to enter her voice, trying to sound light hearted while still getting to the heart of the matter.

“Yes, yes. Everything is fine, wonderful even now that you've returned.” He said, placing a hand against her back and steering her to the sitting area behind the throne. She let him lead her to the plush, low couches and sat when he gestured to offer her a seat.

“Then, what did you want to speak with me about? When you asked to speak with me privately, I thought perhaps you still might be having trouble with the Shadow Carja remnants...” she suggested, but Avad shook his head in response as he sat next to her. “Then what? Do you need machines tamed?”

“No, but... that is an interesting prospect. Perhaps one we'll have to explore later. If you decide to stay, that is. You _will_ be staying, yes?” he asked, more of a statement than a question, looking at her intently. Avad usually spoke with a sort of quiet intensity and assurance but today it made her slightly uncomfortable. Today his attention seemed more like the glare of the noon-day sun rather that the warm sunlight she usually thought of when she spoke with him.

“I plan on being in town for at least a few days. Perhaps longer,” she replied, choosing to seem non-committal in her answer. “I was hoping to ask you if there was a city archives I might have access to?” She considered briefly elaborating on what she was looking for but decided against it. SHE wasn't even entirely sure what exactly she'd need to look for. Avad looked somewhat taken aback by her request before quickly changing to a thoughtful expression and she sat there trying to decide if that look meant that he was surprised that she could read or whether her question simply caught him off guard. 

“Yes. There are archives kept in some of the lower chambers of the palace where they can be protected. Marad can arrange for you to have access to them.” he replied. What he might think of her request she couldn't tell as he sounded much the same as he always did to her. Not for the first time, she wished she was better at reading others intentions. “Aloy...” he said, reaching forward and placing his hand against her knee. “I would like for you to consider perhaps staying in Meridian. On a more permanent basis.” She frowned slightly at this, looking down at his hand, partly so she wouldn't have to look at his earnest expression. She didn't need to be an expert in human interaction to see where this was going.

 “Avad, I...” she began before his grip tightened slightly and he cut her off.

“Hear me out, Aloy, please. Your continued presence here would mean a great deal to the city. You're our savior and no one has forgotten your bravery during the battle nor the help you gave after. The people look up to you.” he said, removing his hand from her knee only to bring it up to her chin, turning her face to look at him. She felt the skin on her arms grow cold but her face grow hot at his continued close scrutiny of her. “But more than that, _I_ want you to stay. You'd have the best room in the palace and you would want for nothing. You're strong and intelligent and I could use someone like that at my side.” She tried, briefly, to imagine herself living in the palace and couldn't. It was just far too different from anything she'd ever know to properly imagine.

“And what would that _mean_ , Avad?” She said, pulling her face away from his hand and sitting up straighter as she faced him. “What is it you're really asking of me?”

Undeterred, he reached out and grasped one of her hands between his. “I want you to stay here. With me. I want to _be_ with you. I want to show the Carja that you're worthy to be at my side, to help me rule.” His warm brown eyes looked so hopeful when he said this which made it all the worse. They had talked about this months ago. Before the battle with Hades even! She let herself frown then, pulling her hand away from him.

“Is that really something you think I would want? To be kept like some pampered noble in the palace and for what?” She asked as she stood, hands pulled into fists at her side. Avad's smile broke then and she could tell he was shocked by her words.“How did you think this would go, Avad? That I would jump at the chance to sit in this gilded cage you've offered and try to convince a Carja court that I'm worthy to be there, to rule them? That I even _want_ to rule them?” Her voice, which had started out cold and calm rose in tone as she went on, building with her anger. Avad stood now, placing his hands on her shoulders as he had when he first saw her to try to calm her growing anger.

“No.. that's not what I... you wouldn't be trapped in the palace, of course...” he stammered, trying to calm all of her objections to his plan at once. “Aloy, while you were away, you were never far from my mind. I lov...” he'd started to pull her in then, for a hug or to try to calm her with a kiss she didn't know but she cut him off, placing her hands against his bare chest and shoving him away.

“No, Avad! You don't. You don't know me... not really and I've told you before, _I'm not her!”_ She cried, finally shouting at him. To his credit, he winced at the reminder of Ersa. The woman she knew he had truly loved. A different savior of Meridian. A woman he'd wanted to rule at his side but couldn't as she was also no Carja noble. “I will not be another woman's replacement!” She finished as she turned on her heel and stomped away from him. He called after her, asking for her to stop, to let him explain but she didn't listen and hurried down the stairs and away from him. Anger and embarrassment burned in her chest and she knew if she stopped she would just end up shouting at him some more. She'd really thought they were past this, his confusing her with Ersa, a woman who hadn't even been gone for half a year! And now he thought he was _in love_ with her? How? Shouldn't he still be mourning Ersa? And, what would Erend think? She felt a tightening in her chest when she thought of the captain but couldn't decide what it meant.

There were just too many thoughts in her head and feelings in her heart. She needed to clear it if she wanted to fully process what just happened so she continued along the bridge and through the city towards the elevators, weaving through the late morning crowd with her head down. It wasn't until she was approaching the elevators to the lower city that she realized that someone was still calling after her and she turned to look back at who was following. Pushing his way through the crowd was Erend, his larger size and his armor prevented him from moving freely through the crowd as she had and she watched as he fumbled through, mumbling apologies to those he bumped into in passing as he called out for her to wait. Were her mood not so foul she might have found the sight comical. When he finally caught up with her he braced a hand against the railing of the walkway as he caught his breath.

“Aloy… what happened?” He asked when his breathing finally returned to normal, concern etched across his face. He looked like he was about to say more but thought better of it, giving her the room to reply without bombarding her with a series of questions. She silently thanked him for that as she took a deep breath, letting it out in a shuddering sigh.

“I’m… not ready to talk about it,” She said, looking down at her feet. “Avad wanted… something I couldn’t give. I’m still trying to make sense of it. Can we just leave it at that for now?” She asked, voice tight. She felt her hands curling into fists again and with great effort she forced them to relax again. She placed them on her hips instead and looked out over the expanse of the Maizelands before turning her gaze back on him. He nodded his ascent immediately, because of course he would. Knowing he wasn’t going to press her until she was ready to talk did more to dampen her anger than she thought it would and she could feel the muscles in her arms relax.

“So, where are we headed?” He asked, placing a hand lightly on her shoulder as if to ground her as they moved together towards the elevator controls.

“To the training grounds, actually.” She replied, pulling the lever and walking into the waiting elevator after the doors opened. “I figured I could work through …this…”she said, gesturing at herself and her still somewhat agitated state, “by destroying a few of your training dummies. Fighting is my best… well, my _only_ , coping mechanism.” She said with a self-deprecating laugh.

“Well, sounds better than mine.” He replied giving her a crooked smile as he followed her into the elevator. “Not a lot of answers to be found at the bottom of a mug of ale. Believe me, I've looked.”

As the elevator began to descend a silence fell between them that was more companionable than uncomfortable. Aloy could tell Erend was still curious as to what had transpired between her and Avad and was thankful that the captain had the grace to respect her wishes and not press the matter. Her anger had settled into a hard knot her stomach as she replayed the conversation in her head as they made their way to the sparring grounds. Why _had_ Avad's offer made her so very angry? She'd known that he'd harbored feelings for her, misguided though she considered them to be. She had told him the last time he'd made the offer and she'd rebuffed him that he was forgiven so long as he didn't confuse her with Ersa again. It did rankle that he'd seemed to have forgotten that and that he thought she'd be happy being trapped in a palace... but there was something else. She shook her head as they reached the sandy field where the vanguard trained and she picked up a bow, having left hers at Erend's apartment, and began shooting at a line of targets while Erend left her side to run exercises with a group of newer recruits.

It felt good to lose herself in the physical activity of nocking an arrow, pulling the string to her cheek and letting it fly. There was something satisfying in the dull thunk of the arrow hitting the target. She'd shot perhaps forty maybe even fifty, the stand beside her growing low on arrows, when she'd let an arrow fly and it hit exactly where another had before it, splitting the first arrow down the middle with the second. The act of hitting the target so accurately caught her by surprise and she stood there, stunned for a half second before she heard a whistle behind her followed by smattering of applause. She turned to see the group of vanguardsmen watching her as they stood next to a barrel of water, taking a turns drinking from the ladle attached to it by a cord.

“Shit, Captain! Remind me never to piss her off!” Called on of the men over his shoulder at Erend. This particular recruit didn't seem any older than herself, sporting short shorn black hair, a shadow of a beard along his chin and dark eyes that sparkled with mischief.

“If you need reminding, then you deserve the arrow she'll plant in your ass for crossing her, Alik!” Erend retorted without missing a beat, causing the rest of the company to erupt into laughter. “That's enough! If you have enough energy to be cracking jokes, you've enough energy to get back to work!” His proclamation was met with some exaggerated groaning but nevertheless the group moved back to the center of the grounds, pairing off to spar once more. Erend instead moved towards the targets she’d been shooting at and crouched to inspect the split arrow. “If I hadn’t seen ya do it, I’m not sure I’d’ve believed it.” He said, sounding impressed. “You certainly showed this arrow who’s boss.”

She gave a lopsided smile at that as she approached the targets and then started pulling out the other arrows she’d shot from the hay. “Sorry about that… I’ll make you some new arrows.” She offered, seeing she’d also sheared the fletching from a few others that had hit too close together on the target.

“Eh, don’t worry about it.” He said, standing and helping her with the task. “I’ll need a punishment chore for someone at some point I’m sure. So… feeling any better?” He asked, not looking at her and seeming as if he was trying to make the question seem casual. She was surprised to find that she did. Her anger had dissipated with the shock of splitting the arrow. She paused then, arms full of arrows as she looked up at him, turning the events of the day around in her head. Now that she was calm, she was able to sort through her feelings with a clear mind. When she didn’t immediately answer, Erend looked at her, his expression somewhere between quizzical and amused to find her staring at him.

It was then that the real reason for her anger at Avad’s proposal hit her. Yes, she’d been angry that he would think she’d want the life that he offered. And that she thought he was latching on to her in a misguided attempt to lessen the pain of losing Ersa by using her as a replacement. And that his offer came with the caveat that she would have to _prove_ herself to nobles she didn’t care about for the _privilege_ of someday, maybe, having a legitimate relationship with the king. No… looking at Erend’s stormy gray eyes it hit her that it made her angry because on top of all of that, she was in love with Erend.

Shit.

She flushed then, turning on her heel and taking the arrows back to the barrel at the firing line. “Yes. Feeling much better. Just what I needed.” She said, wincing slightly at how forced that sounded. She’d solved one problem. Now she had an entirely new one. Great.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, sorry this took so long everyone. I obsessed over this chapter, wanting the argument with Avad and Aloy's subsequent internal distress over it to go just right. I'm still not sure I got it 100% but after a couple of revisions and re-writes this is where I'm calling it as good. The other reason this one took longer is that I made the "brilliant" decision to try to start constructing an Aloy costume a month out from Dragon Con. So a lot of my free time has been devoted to sewing extra wefts into the custom wig I'm making and cutting leather for her Nora armor. With this on my plate updating will probably be slow until after the convention but I didn't want anyone to think I gave up on this. I haven't, I'm here and I do have plans of where this is gonna go. I've been working on the story during my lunch hour at work but my focus for the next month will be getting the costume done. Thank you for continuing to read!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and thank you for reading Chapter 1 of Days After Dawn. This is my first fan-fiction that I've put out into the wider world and hopefully that doesn't show too much to be distracting in the style. I have a loose plan where I would like for this story to go and pictures for specific scenes in my head, like Erend leaning on the balcony at sunset reading a letter from Aloy and thinking back on his time with her after the battle with Hades. But I know stories can change and grow as they're written which is why I've used 'tags may change'. While all the characters tagged do not appear in Chapter 1, they are characters I do plan on using in the story at this point and more may be added as I progress. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!


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